Feeding mechanisms for sewing machines



oct. 25, 1932.

W. C. VAN NESS ET AL FEEDING MECHANISM FOR SEWING MACHINES Filed May 21, 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet l mi ecielc M. Chri OC- 25, 1932- w. c. vAN Nl-:ss ET AL 1,884,404

FEEDING MECHANISM FOR SEWING MAGIIINES Filed May 21, 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 l .IEIII- I.Il I IIIIIIIIIIHW .1|

Oct. 25, 1932. w. c. vAN NESS ET AL FEEDING MECHANISM FOR SEWING MACHINES Filed May 21, 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented Oct. 25, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WILLIAM C. VAN NESS, l' BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, AND FREDERIC CARD, OF BRIDGE- POBT, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOBS TO THE SINGER MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF

ELIZABETH, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF JERSEY FEEDIN G MECHANISMS FOB SEWIN G MACHINES Application led lay 21,

This invention relates to improvements in feeding mechanisms for sewing machines and has for its primary object to provide a sewlng machine having a work-supportlng post. of small compass with an efficiently operatmg wheel-feed mechanism for advancing the work past the stitch-forming mechanism.

A preferred embodiment of the invention consists in the novel features of constructlon and in the arrangement and combination of parts hereinafter described in connection with the accompanying drawings, 1n whlch Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section, partly 1n front elevation, of a sewing machlne containing one embodiment of the present improvement. Fig. 2 is a top-plan view of the worksupporting' top of the machine post. Fig. 3

is a vertlcal section, partly in elevation, of the post component supporting the feedwheel mechamsm, the cover-plates be1ng removed. Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view substantially on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a sectional view of the feed-wheel bracket, substantially on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3. Figs. 6 and 7 represent, in perspective, the feedwheel supporting frame as viewed from opposite sides thereof. Fig. 8 is a bottom-plan view of the machine bed, with part of the feed-wheel actuating mechanism shown in section. Fig. 9 is a front elevation of a modified feed-wheel supporting bracket. Fig. 10

Vis a transverse section of said modiied sup;

porting bracket 'and of the feed-wheel carried thereby.

rlihe sewing machine illustrated in the accompanying drawings contains stitch-forming and feed-wheel actuating mechanism of the character` disclosed in the United States patent to H. Corrall et al., No. 1,414,625, May 2, 1922, and in the pending patent application of J. A. Knox, filed May 17, 1929, with Serial No. 363,832.

In the present case, the sewing machine has a framecomprising a bed-plate 1 from one end of which rises the hollow standard 2 supporting a tubular bracket-arm 3 which terminates in a head 4 overhanging the bedplate 1. Disposed directly below the bracket-arm head 4 is a work-supporting post having component sections 5 and 5 which are leal. sum1 No. 538,913.

separably secured upon and rise vertically from the bed-plate. The post-section 5 supports the loop-taker mechanism and the post 5 the wheel-feed mechanism of the machine.

J ournaled in the bracket-arm 3 is a rotary main-shaft 6 carrying at one end a beltpulley 7 and at its opposite end a crank-disk 8 connected by means of a link 9 with a needlebar 10 carrying at its lower end a needle 11, which is preferably inclined slightly to the path of reciprocation of the needle-bar. The needle-bar 10 is journaled for endwise reciprocation in vertically alined bearings provided in a swinging frame 12 fulcrumed at its upper end upon a pivot-pin 13, disposed substantially parallel with the main-shaft 6 and suitably fixed by a screw 14 in the bracketarm head 4.

To impart work-feeding movements to the needle, the needle-bar frame 12 is operatively connected with a crank-arm 15 on one end of a horizontally disposed rock-shaft 16 journaled lin the bracket-arm 3 below and in substantially parallel relationship with the main-shaft 6. Secured upon the other end of the rock-shaft 16 is a forked arm 17` straddling a suitably adjustable actuating eccentric 18 upon the main-shaft 6.

Adjacent to the eccentric 18, the mainshaft 6 carries a bevel-gear 19 in mesh with a bevel-gear 20 upon the upper end of a vertically disposed intermediate shaft 21 journaled for rotation in su`table bearings provided Within the bracket-arm 3 and upon the bed-plate 1. At its lower end, the shaft 21 carries a bevel-gear 22 driving a similar gear 23 upon the rearward end of a loop-taker actuating shaft 24 journaled in bearings below the bed-plate 1. At its opposite end, the shaft '24 carries a bevel-gear 25 in mesh with a bevel-gear 26 of one-half the size of gear and carried by the lower end of a looptaker shaft 27 journaled for rotation in vertically alined bearing apertures provided in lugs 28 at the inner side of the work-supporting post-section 5. Above the upper lug 28, the shaft 27 carries a thread-mass containing loop-taker 29 of the vertical-axis hook type, adapted to cooperate with the needle in the formation of lock-stitches, it being understood that the loop-taker performs two 5 shaft 21 also carries a worm 30 driving a 1 sing worm-gear 31 fixed upon the rearward end of a horizontally disposed shaft 32. The shaft 32 is journaled at one end in a bushing 33 of a-combination bearing-box and gear- 34, suitably secured upon the under side of the bed-plate 1 and also aordin a bearing for one end of the shaft 24. djacent its opposite end, the shaft 32 is journaled in a bushing 35 suitably fixed in a suprting bracket 36 secured b screws 37 and owelins 38 upon lugs 39 epending from the bedplate 31. Secured by a key 40 upon the shaft 32 for rotation therewith are three adjant driving ferent sizes, said ars being retained upon the shaft by a w' er 44engaged by a nut 45 threaded upon the reduced end of the shaft. The driving gears 41, 42 and 43 are constantly in mesh with three driven ears 46, 47 and 48 freely journaled upon a stu -shaft 49, parallel to the shaft 32 and journaled for rotation in a bushing 50 fixed in a suitable aperture in the bracket 36. The driven gears 46, 47 and 48 are spaced from each other by washers 51 and Vare held against movement endwise of the stub-shaft 49 by a split-collar 52 suitably clamped upon said stub-shaft. Extending lengthwise of the stub-shaft 49 is a slot 53 in which is shiftably disposed va key 54 having a nose 55 adapted to enter any one of notches 56 in the shaft apertures of said driven gears. The key 54 is acted upon by a spring 57 to urge the key-nose 55 into said notches, the washers 51 serving to disengage the key-nose from one gear notch before entering another of said notches, when the ke 54 is shifted lengthwise of the slot 53. or conveniently shiftinfvl the key 54, there is provided a knurled shift-ring58 slidably disposed u pon the stub-shaft 49, said shift-ring carrymg a stud-screw 59 of which s the reduced end enters a suitable slot in the key. A pin 61 disposed'near the outer end of the shaft-slot 53 lserves to guard against inadvertent withdrawal of the key 54 from the shaft slot 53. It will therefore be understood that while the driven gears 46, 47 l and 48 of the described change-speed gearing are rotated continuously during the o eration of the machine, the stub-shaft 49 will be rotated at a speed corresponding to the speed of rotation of the particular driven gear which has been selectively coupled to the stub-shaft 49 by the key 54.

Integral with the inner end of the stubshaft 49 is a bevel-gear 62 engaging a bevelgear 63 at the lower end of a vertically disshaft-section 64 journaled in a bushmg 65 suitably fixed in an upwardly directed lug 66 of the bracket 36. The shaft-section gears 41, 42 and 43 of dif- 64 is held a ainst endwise movement the bushin 65 y the bevel-gear 63 and by a collar 6 secured to said shaft abovethe bushing. The upper end of said shaft-section 64 has a transverse slot 68 slidably entered by the flattened lower Aend or ton 69 of a complemental shaft-section 70 'journaled in 'a tubular extension 71 depending from a feedwheel bracket 72. The vcollar 67 also -acts t0 prevent spreading'of the slotted upper .end of the shaft-section 64 under torsional driving stresses. The tubular extension 71 of the bracket 7 2 is adj ustably secured by a set-screw 73 in a vertically apertured bearing-lug 74 upon the inner side of the -section 5', the bracket 72 being mounted or vertical adj ustment in a recessed guideway in said postsection 5. The bottom of said guideway is constituted by a transverse wall 75 of the post-section 5 and the sides of the guidewa by the parallel faces 7 6 and 7 7 of walls whic are in the present instance cast integral with the wall 75, as illustrated more particularly in Fig. 4 of the drawings. It will be obvious, however, that one or more of the guideway walls might be separate from the other walls,

if desired for convenience in manufacture and assembling of the mechanism. The guide-bracket 72 is confined in the post guideway by headed guide-pins 85, suitably s ecured in the post-section 5.

It is to be understood that the described supporting means for the bracket 7 2 provides for vertical adjustment of said bracket when the set-screw 73 is released therefrom and in order to conveniently and accurately effect said vertical adjustment a threaded aperture 78 is provided in the bracket 72 to receive a vertically disposed anchored against endwise movement in an extension of the bearing-lug 74.

The shaft-section 70 is held against endwise movement in its bearing by a collar 80 upgn the lower end of said shaft-section and vel-gear 81 upon its upper end, sa id beveladjusting screw 79y gear meshing with another bevel-gear 82 journaled for rotation u n a horizontally dis osed headed stud 83 ixed in the bracket 72 y a screw 84. Secured against the hub of the bevel-gear 82, by screws 86, is a pinj ion 87 meshing with a spur-gear 88 rotatably 'o urnaled upon another stationary, headed stud 89 fixed by a screw 90 in the bracket 7 2 vertically above the shaft 83. The spur-gear 88 meshes with a pinion 91v detachably secured by screws 92 upon the outer face of a feed-wheel 93, said pinion 91 and feed-wheel 93 being together journaled upon a horizontally disposed j ournal-stud 94, projecting integrally from the bracket 72 at the side thereof opposite to the loop-taker 29 and vertically above the stud 89. A screw 95 threaded into the free end of the journal-stud 94 holds the feed-wheel and its attached pinion upon said journal-stud.

through and .slightly above a slot 97 `1n a throat-plate 98 secured by screws 99 upon the upper end of the post-section Abutting an edge of the throat-plate 98 is a slideplate 100 removably supported by the upper end of the ost-section 5 and providing convenient access to the loo -taker 29. The feedwheel has a peripheral ange 101 directed toward the loop-taker and slidingly embracing a boss or curved supporting ledge 102 which is in the present case integral with the adjustable feed-wheel bracket 72. The supportin ledge 102, while permitting free rotation o the feed-wheel, serves as an abutment sustaining the feed-wheel against the pressure of a roller-presser 103 o posed thereto, said rolleresser being carrled by a bracket 104 secure upon the lower end of the usual spring-depressed presser-bar 105 journaled for vertical` movements in the machine bracket-arm head 4. The throat-plate 98 is provided with a needle-aperture 106 which opens into one side of the feed-wheel slot 97, said throat-plate having on its under side a web providing a needle-guide 107 below the feed-wheel flange as more fully disclosed in the" before mentioned pending patent a plication Serial No. 363,832. The bracket 2 is cut away on the side opposite to the feedwheel side thereof to provide a needle-clearance slot 108, partly in the face of the support 102, and to provide a segmental recess 109 affording clearancefor the loop-taker 29.

' The post-section 5 has a removable coverplate 110, bent to conform to the vertical outline of the gearing, as illustrated in section in Fig. 1 of the drawings and` providing for convenient access to said gearing. As illustrated in Fig. 4 of the drawings, the opening between the post-sections 5 and 5 is closed at the front and rear walls of said post-sections by cover-plates 111 removably secured upon said sections in any preferred manner.

A modified feed-wheel and driving gearing therefor is illustrated in Figs. 9 and 10 of the drawings, in which the shaft-section 112 having a attened tongue 113 at its lower end adapted to slidingly enter the slot 68 of the lower shaft-section 64is journaled in an elongated tubular-extension 114 of an angular bracket 115 suitably mounted for vertical adjustment in the post 5. r1`he shaft-section 112 is held in the bracket-extension by a collar 116 upon the lower end of said shaft-sec- A tion and by a bevel-gear 117 at the upper end thereof, said ear 117 meshing with a bevelgear 118 having its hub 119 journaled in a horizontalbearing aperture` in the bracket 115. The bearing for said gear-hub 119 is preferably separable, having a removable cap 120. Secured upon the gear-hub 119 by screws 121 is a feed-wheel 122, having its inner face in sliding engagement with the proiects site side of the feed-wheel. Furthermore.,

`pass work-support afforded by the construction previously described, the modification eliminating the necessity for the multiplicity of fears for actuating the feed-wheel.`

t will be understood from the foregoing description that, during the operation of the machine, the feed-wheel 93 is continuously rotated and that work-feeding movements are imparted to the needle 11 in suitably timed relation with the speed of rotation of the feed-wheel upon adjustment of the needlevibrating eccentric 18 in accordance with the speed o rotation of the feed-wheel, which may be selectively determined by shifting the gear-securing key 54 of the change-speed gearing.

In a construction in which a work-advancing feed-wheel engages the work directly adjacent to the path of the needle, the space between the feed-wheel and the loop-taker is necessarily restricted and articularly when employing a loop-taker of, the vertical-axis hook ty e. The (present feed-wheel supporting brac et is so esigned that the feed-wheel supporting portion of the bracket is disposed in said restricted space, whereby the upper ortion of the work-supporting post may ave a smaller compass than would be the case if the bracket was disposed at the oppothe feed-wheel rotating gearing is also so designedas to provide for a post of small compass, the construction being nevertheless of a character to provide for convenient and accurate adjustment of\ the level of the feedwheel above the throat-plate, and to rmly support the flanged feed-wheel against the thrust of the presser opposed thereto.V

Having thus set forth the nature of the invention, what we claim herein is 1. In a sewing machine, a work-support, stitch-forming mechanism including a reciprocatory needle, a feed-wheel projecting through said work-support adjacent to the path of the needle and having a peripheral work-engaging dange, a stationary bracket upon which said feed-wheel is rotatably journaled and having a feed-wheel supporting ledge underlying the feed-wheel flange adjacent to the path of said needle, means for rotating said feed-wheel, and a presser opposed te said feed-wheel.

. 2. ln a sewing machine, a horizontally disposed work-support, stitch-forming mechanism including a vertically reciprocatory needle, a feed-wheel projecting through said work-support adjacent to the path of the needle and having a peripheral work-engagtil) ' flan e, a stationary bracket upon which gahgd feel-wheel is rotatably journaled and havin a curved feed-wheel supporting ledge under ying the feed-wheel flange adjacent to the path of said needle, supporting means for said bracket providing for vertical adjustment thereof relatively to said work-support, means for rotating said feed-wheel, and a presser opposed to said feed-wheel.

3. In a sewing machine, a work-su port, a reciprocatory needle, a loop-taker below the work-support for cooperation with the needle in the formation of stitches, a feedwheel disposed adjacent to said loop-taker and having a` peri herall work-engaging iiange on the loop-ta er side thereof, a stationary bracket having a feed-wheel sup rtin ledge underlying the feed-wheel ange adaoent to the path of the needle, means for rotating said feed-wheel, and a presser opposed to said feed-wheel.

4. In a sewing machine, a work-support, a reciprocatory needle, a loop-taker cooperating with the needle in the formation of stitches, a feed-wheel disposed adjacent to the loop-taker and having a peripheral workengagin flange, a stationary curved ledge dispos v within and slidingly supporting said feed-wheel fiange, means for rotating said feed-wheel, and a presser opposed to said feed-wheel.

5. A sewing machine having a bed-plate, a work-supporting post rising from said bedplate, a 4bracket-arm ovei'hanging the bedplate and work-supporting post, stitch-forming mechanismy including a reciprocatory needle-bar journaled upon said bracket-arm, a loop-taker journaled in said work-supportn post, a work-advancing feed-wheel rotatably journaled upon said post adjacent to said loop-taker, and a stationary bracket having a ortion thereof disposed between the feed-W eel and the loop-taker providing a journal-bearing for the feed-wheel, and means for rotating said feed-wheel.

6. A sewing machine having a bed-plate, a work-supporting post rising from said bedplate, a bracket-arm overhanging the bedplate and work-supporting post, stitch-forming mechanism including a reciprocatory needle-carrying bar journaled upon said bracket-arm, a vertical-axis loop-taker rotatably ournaled upon said work-supporting ost or cooperation with the needle in the ormation of stitches, a work-advancing feed-wheel disposed adjacent to said looptaker, a bracket having a portion thereof disposed between the feed-wheel and the loop-v taker providing a journal-bearing for the feed-wheel, supporting means for said bracket providing for vertical adjustment thereof upon said work-supporting post, feedwheel driving gearing carried by said bracket, and means for actuating said driving gearing.

7. A sewing machine having a bed-plate, a

work-supporting post rising from said bedplate having separable component sections, a

racket-arm overhanging the bed-plate, a reciprocatory needle-bar journaled u n said overhanging bracket-arm, a loop-ta er jour- Y.

naled upon one of the component post-sections, means for actuating said loo taker, a bracket supported for vertical adjustment upon the other of said component postsections, a work-advancing feed-wheel rotatably racket-arm overhangmg the bed-plate, a

needle-carrying bar journaled upon said bracket-arm, means for impartin endwise reciprocatory and lateral work-feedmg movements to said needle-bar, a vertical-axis loop-taker journaled upon one of the component post-sections for cooperation with a needle carried by said bar in the formation of stitches, means for rotating said loop-taker, a bracket adj ustably mounted upon the other of said component post-sections, a4 work-advancing feed-wheel rotatably journaled upon said bracket, means for rotating said feed'- wheel to continuously feed the work during the operation of the machine, a throat-plate secured upon the feed-wheel post-section and.V

having a feed-wheel slot, and a remoxable plate covering the upper end of the other post-section in abutting relationship with said throat-plate.

9. A sewing machine having an upstanding work-supporting post, a throat-plate upon the upper end of said post, a work-advancing feed-wheel projecting throughy said throat-plate, a bracket mounted for vertical adjustment u on said post providing a journal-bearing or said feed-wheel, feed-wheel driving means including a vertically disl posed driven shaft-section rotatably journaled and fixed against endwise movement upon said bracket, a complemental driving shaft-section having a driving connection with the driven shaft-section maintained in different vertically adjusted positions of said bracket, and means for rotating said driving shaft-section.

10. Afsewing machine having a work-supporting post provided with a vertically directed guidewa and a vertically apertured bearing-lug, a racket slidably mounted in said guideway and having a depending tubular extension disposed in the bearing-lug aperture, a work-advancing feed-wheel ro-v tatably journaled upon said bracket, driving gearing for said feed-wheel including a shaft journaled in said tubular extension of the r selectively establishing bracket, means for vertically adjusting said bracket in its guideway, and means for secur ing said bracket in different vertically adj usted lpositions thereof in its guideway.

11'. porting post provided with v a vertically directed guidewa anda verticallyv apertured bearing-lug, a racket slidably mounted in said guidewa and having a laterally offset, depending tubular extension disposed in the bearing-lug aperture, a work-advancing feed-Wheel rotatably journaled upon said bracket, driving gearing including a shaft journaled in said tubular extension of the bracket, and a bracket-adjusting screw for effecting vertical adjustment of said bracket in its guideway.

12. A sewing machine having a work-supporting post provided with a vertically directed guideway, a rotatable. feed-Wheel and a bevel-gear detachably secured together and having oppositely-directed coaxiallyFembracing hubs, a bracket slidably mounted for vertical adjustment in said guideway and provided with a separable journal-bearing for Jthe combined yfeed-Wheel and bevel-gear, a vertically disposed shaft journaled in said bracket, a bevel-gear carried by the upper end of said shaft, and means for rotating said shaft.

13. A sewing machine having an u standing Work-supporting post, a brac et-arm overhanglng said post, a reciprecatory needle-carrying bar journaled upon said bracket-arm, a vertical-axis loop-taker rotatably journaled upon said post, a feed- Wheelv bracket a'djustably mounted upon said post having in one side thereof-a segmental loop-taker clearance recess and upon its opposite side a bearing-stud, a feed-Wheel rotatably journaled upon said bearing-stud, a

sewing machine having a Work-supfor said feed-wheel pinion carried by the feed-Wheel at its side opposite to the loop-taker side thereof, a spur-gear journaled upon said bracket Vertically below the axis of the feed-Wheel for driving said pinion, and means vfor rotating said spur-gear.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification,

WILLIAM C. VAN NESS. FREDERIC M. CARD. 

